Thriller & Mystery > Bruce, Nigel Thriller & Mystery

The Definitive Holmes and Watson

Advantages: Beautifully restored versions of the greatest Holmes and Watson of all time
Disadvantages: None a single one

...not conversant with the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films, they began as almost A-movies for Twentieth Century Fox first in Hound and then The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. At this point Fox decided not to film any further adventures but Universal, ever desiring to put together B-movie series, which might draw in audiences, negotiated with Conan Doyle's estate to gain the rights. Successfully so, they brought back Rathbone, as an angular, slightly ...
...Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes remained faithful to Conan Doyle's late Victorian, fin-de-siecle, milieu, Universal decided to update Holmes and Watson to the present day, and as such the first few films, including Sherlock Holmes in Washington and Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon were patriotic flag-wavers, where Holmes was pitted against dastardly Nazis but it soon became clear to them that it was fog drenched London and/or ...

No_name 20.01.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Sherlock Holmes - The Definitive Collection (Box Set) (DVD)

Sherlock Holmes in the Second World War??

Advantages: Entertaining
Disadvantages: Not a Conan Doyle plot

Introduction Basil Rathbone played Sherlock Holmes a total of fourteen times. He is probably one of the most famous actors to play the role and, at his best, does a superb job. This film is not one of his best though - this is not completely his fault - much of the blame has to lie with the director, Roy William Neil, for deciding to make a Sherlock Holmes film that is not based on any of the Conan Doyle stories. It was certainly watchable and enjoyable, ...
...and produced all of the Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone after this one, the fourth in the series. Neil died in 1946, which effectively brought Basil Rathbone's stint as Sherlock Holmes to an end. The plot Sherlock Holmes is called in to protect a Swiss scientist, Dr Franz Tobel, who has agreed to share his plans for a bombsight (which apparently helps ensure the accuracy of bombs) with the British government rather than Germany. Holmes ...

sunmeilan 09.01.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Sherlock Holmes - The Secret Weapon (DVD)

Shame he came back…

Advantages: Erm…
Disadvantages: Not very exciting storyline, much over-acting

Introduction I love Sherlock Holmes - I was brought up by my father reading Conan Doyle to me - and still enjoy the stories as an adult. It is a hard role to portray successfully on TV, but some actors have done it, particularly Jeremy Brett, whom I adore as Holmes, and Basil Rathbone. Rathbone starred in 14 films as Sherlock Holmes and was particularly good in The Hound of the Baskervilles; unfortunately the directors/screen-writers saw fit to ...
...the original stories. One up-rooted Sherlock Holmes and Watson from the late 19th century to the middle of the Second World War - something that can only be partially explained by the fact that it is a propaganda film with the aim of rousing the British public to victory. This particular film is again based on a non-Conan Doyle story. The director William Neill was born in a ship off the coast of Ireland in 1887. He directed a number of Sherlock ...

sunmeilan 27.01.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Sherlock Holmes - Pursuit To Algiers (DVD)

The funhouse game

Advantages: A clever film that will have you captivated from start to end
Disadvantages: May be a bit too graphic for some, acting is not that great

...directed by Darren Lynn Bousman Saw 2 is the sequel to, surprise surprise, Saw and was released back in October 2005. Story line Xavier (“Franky G”)), Jonas (“Glen Plummer”), Laura (“Beverley Mitchell”), Obi (“Timothy Burd”), Daniel Matthews (“Erik Knudsen), Addison (“Emmanuelle Vaugier”) and Amanda (“Shawnee Smith”) are all ‘normal’ people and despite having never met, are strangers with a specific “something” in common. Being selected to participate ...
...The cast list of Saw 2 is pretty small, and those described above make up over 95% of the entire cast. The main characters are supported by few supporting actors, none of whom give memorable performances or really stand out. I found this surprising since there is usually at least one person that stands out from the crowd and worthy of a mention, but this is not the case with this film. My opinion Having watched Saw when it was first released ...

yackers1 25.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Saw II (DVD)

Silence of the lambs

Advantages: great story, good acting
Disadvantages: bit gorey, emtional issues

...because it is exciting and silence of the lambs is always exciting. I really enjoyed watching this way back when because it has an original storyline and excellent character portrayal from Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. The silence of the lambs focuses on Jodie Foster's character inteviewing Dr Hannibal Lector about Buffalo Bill, a man that is kidnapping and skinning women to make a skin suit for himself. He is clearly very deranged and odd and ...
...to people. It is not like the others which focus on Hannibal and his feasting on other people but the plot and story is still very disturbing and sickening yet I think that is what makes it so good because it disturbs us and keeps us watching. The director has thrown in many hooks to keep us so engrossed after all that is why we enjoy horror films. For me this is one of the most disturbing films, especially in the Hannibal Lector series because it ...

lilynettle 24.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Silence Of The Lambs (DVD)